One of the co-leads at OpenAI’s video generator, Sora, is making a move to Google. Tim Brooks, who played a key role in the development of Sora alongside William Peebles, shared his decision to join Google DeepMind, the tech giant’s AI research division, to focus on video generation technologies and world simulators. In a message on social media, Brooks expressed his gratitude for his time at OpenAI and his excitement for the next chapter at Google.
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis welcomed Brooks to the team, highlighting the potential for advancing the concept of a world simulator. While the term may be somewhat ambiguous, DeepMind has applied it to projects like Genie, which can create interactive virtual environments based on various inputs. These simulations have a range of applications, from gaming and entertainment to training AI agents for real-world deployment.
Brooks was instrumental in kickstarting the Sora project at OpenAI in early 2023, leading the research direction and model training efforts. Despite technical challenges faced by Sora, such as lengthy processing times, OpenAI is working on an enhanced version that aims to address these issues. In comparison, Google has introduced its own video generation model, Veo, which is set to integrate with YouTube Shorts for content creation purposes.
Apart from technical obstacles, OpenAI has also faced competition in the video generation space from companies like Runway and Stability, which have secured partnerships with major entertainment industry players. While OpenAI has showcased Sora to filmmakers and studios, securing a long-term collaboration remains pending.
Brooks’ return to Google marks another significant departure from OpenAI, following a series of exits by top executives and researchers. The company has seen key figures like the CTO, chief research officer, and research VP step down in recent months, raising questions about its future direction. As the landscape of AI research and development continues to evolve, the impact of these transitions on OpenAI’s projects and partnerships remains to be seen.
